NSB Activities

Committee on Strategy and Budget (CSB)Subcommittee on Facilities (SCF)

Overview

The CSB Subcommittee on Facilities (SCF) reports to CSB and assists the Board in strategic budget planning for the NSF-funded research equipment and facilities portfolio. SCF supports Board decision-making and strategic planning related NSF’s research equipment and facilities portfolio through an annual review of the portfolio of all NSF-funded facilities.

Specifically, SCF responsibilities include:

Undertaking an annual review of the portfolio of all NSF-funded research facilities;

Providing to CSB and the Board a clear assessment of the impact that specific projects and the overall facilities portfolio will have on long-term budget planning at NSF; and

Making recommendations to CSB and the Board on guidance to NSF management on the prioritization of all projects that have completed a Conceptual Design Review (CDR) and are being considered for further funding to develop Preliminary Designs.

Charge

As stated in the charge to the National Science Board's Committee on Strategy and Budget (CSB), "One of the Board's most important responsibilities is the provision of strategic budget guidance."1 Planning for the development, construction, operations, maintenance, and decommissioning of research equipment and facilities supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) is an essential component of annual and long-term budget planning undertaken by the National Science Board (Board).

The Subcommittee on Facilities (SCF) reports to CSB and assists the Board in strategic budget planning with responsibility for the NSF-funded research equipment and facilities portfolio. SCF responsibilities include:

Undertaking an annual review of the portfolio of all NSF-funded research facilities. This review considers projects from the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) Account, as well as large and mid-size research facilities and infrastructure funded by the Research and Related Activities (R&RA) Account. The review considers currently operating facilities, as well as those under construction and in early and late-stage planning. The review considers impacts on the long-term budgets of NSF divisions, directorates, and the Foundation as a whole and potential partnerships among NSF directorates and offices and with other organizations.

Providing to CSB and the Board a clear assessment of the impact that specific projects and the overall facilities portfolio will have on long-term budget planning at NSF. This includes consideration of whether existing facilities continue to be the best use of NSF's limited resources given alternative potential uses of funding for research facilities and individual investigator-led research.

Recommending to CSB and the Board guidance to be provided to NSF management on the prioritization of all projects that have completed a Conceptual Design Review (CDR) and are being considered for further funding to develop Preliminary Designs.